Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Prophesied ❯ Burning Night ( Chapter 25 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 25: Yoru Moeru

(Burning Night)

With the fire human's help, her immortal blood had been able to take over and heal her many wounds. As evening fell she shuffled out of the hut he had so painstakingly built for her, stretched her wings, and prepared to leave this arc of her journey behind.

As she walked, she passed the remains of the fire he'd stoked every night to keep her warm, then the thorns he had freed her from at cost of his own injury.

Suddenly, she found she couldn't leave. The honor of her people was weighted on her chest though she had never met another of her kind.

She could not leave until she had repaid her debt.

Zuko felt it before he saw it, the fire coming towards him.

Ducking, he spun on his palms and knocked the Fire Nation soldier off his feet.

Guards from the palace halls flooded into the courtyard but there were too many fire-benders. Where had they all come from?

Zuko whirled and dodged, fighting without his bending, remembering the lie he'd told to the Tasha guards. When it was over, he was alone.

He turned and rushed back into the palace just as the fortress shook with the impact of a fireball. He passed both Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation soldiers, hurrying to get to Katara.

He found her fighting off several fire-benders with her excellent bending. He helped her take care of the last few and then grabbed her shoulder.

“Zuko!” she breathed in relief.

“Where's Sokka?”

Katara shook her head. “He went back to the room to get Aang and Midori.”

The three, Mitsu, Midori and Aang, that is, were standing quietly on the balcony when three fire-benders dressed all in black with the Fire Nation symbol tattooed on their bare-shoulders leapt up onto the railing, lowering their daggers at the young Avatar.

He raised his staff which by some miracle he'd brought with him.

“Girls, stay behind me.”

A shriek behind him made Aang turn. Mitsu had Midori by the neck and was pressing a knife to her throat.

The traitorous woman grinned eerily.

“Even think about bending, Avatar, and this girl is dead.”

Aang didn't have to think about it, even as Midori shook her head no. He dropped his staff and let the fire-benders chain his hands together. They even placed these wicked wooden bars around his neck so he couldn't even turn his head to say a word of comfort.

There was no way he could bend.

Midori let a single tear slide, remembered how her brother had sent her on while he himself stayed behind to fight.

“Aang…”

“It'll be all right, Midori.”

That was the last thing she heard before a sharp blow to the back of her head rendered her unconscious.

Azula rushed from her bed as the sounds of a battle grew louder. She found Peris at the top of the outer wall and for the moment did not even remember that he was her fiancé.

“What is going on, General?”

Peris didn't even turn.

“Perhaps you should watch, Princess.”

Azula growled. “I know what is happening, but surely you could've told me! I am the presiding…”

Peris turned his head and leveled such a glare at her. Never had Peris looked at her in such a way and she never wanted it to happen again. Rarely had Peris stood against her, but this apparently wasn't one of those times.

“If it had been a more essential undertaking, I would've contacted you. As it is, I wished for the gained advantage from this mission to be a surprise to you.”

Azula blinked and Peris returned his gaze to the battlefield.

“I believe the Avatar will be a sufficient wedding gift.”

Azula spun, staring towards the Earth city. Zuko!

Zuko found Sokka fighting alone against at least twenty fire-benders. Without hesitation, they joined together and quickly finished them off.

Zuko spun around, glaring at the Water Tribe warrior.

“Where's Aang!?”

“Does it look like I got there?” Sokka spat back.

The two took off down the halls, Zuko easily gaining a three foot lead. When they reached the room, the door was barred from the inside. The former Fire Prince forsook his incognito battle style to blast down the door. The room was empty and he raced past onto the balcony, the door to which hung open.

He found Mitsu lying unconscious and was quickly at her side. At his touch, she opened her eyes and attached herself to his chest.

“Oh, Suiro, they took Aang and Midori. I couldn't do anything! I feel so horrible!”

Zuko pushed her away in an attempt to wake her out of her self-pity but as he did so, a blast of earth sent the girl flying off the balcony and down into the courtyard below.

Zuko followed her but immediately found a young female earth-bender beside him, her arms raised towards Mitsu, who was now glaring.

“She's lying.”

Zuko had to look down to see the girl but she didn't even return his gaze. Upon further inspection, he found she was blind.

“Who are you?”

“I'm Toph of the Bei Fong family, and I'm Lord Mako's niece. I'll take care of prissy here. You go after the Avatar.”

Zuko nodded and turned back to the balcony.

“Mika!”

The tigress appeared instantly and leapt down to his side. After checking to make sure his swords were tied tightly, he nodded to Toph and took off running, Mika at his side.

Sokka, having been detained by a couple of fire-benders, found his way to the room. When he found it empty, he took off back down the hall to tell Katara.

Toph and Mitsu faced each other in the courtyard. Surprisingly, Toph grinned.

“We knew there was a spy in the ranks but we didn't know who. Personally, I'm glad it's you. I've wanted to bash your face in for a while.”

Mitsu glared.

“Come now, little blind leech, I'll show you what true fighting is about.”

The spy shot forward, moving easily and launched a knife towards the governor's niece.

It never reached its target. A pillar of earth shot up in front of it, shattering the blade, and a large rock connected with Mitsu's stomach, sending her flying back. She was unconscious when she hit the ground.

Toph grinned. “That took longer than expected.”

Zuko crossed the field between the Earth and Fire Nation cities with ease. Mika ran by his side, as silent as her kind was bred to be. Outside the wall, despite the battle, two guards paced by the gate. Zuko looked to Mika and she rubbed against his outstretched hand.

They moved at the same moment.

Mika leapt from her place, tackling the furthest guard and snapping his neck with one great crunch of her jaws.

Zuko tacked the other guard, twisting his head in one smooth movement, the sickening pop of the neck breaking beneath his hands nearly driving him to turn around.

Instead of doing so, he stripped the now limp body of the Fire Nation soldier of his outer armor and used it to cover his thin black suit. Mika frowned at him as he slipped the helmet over his head, but he held up a hand to be silent and she nodded her understand.

Several guards noticed one of their own coming in with a tigress. The tigress turned and growled at them, but the guard snapped a whip of fire and the tigress followed him into the fortress. They didn't think twice.

Zuko shed himself off the armor once inside, hiding it in a closet. Mika was close by his side as he slipped down the hallway, peering around corners and keeping to the shadows.

He slipped further into the fortress, following guards and more guards until he reached the wall.

“How does it feel to know there's no escape, Avatar?”

Zuko froze then ran up the steps. From his position, he could see them clearly, but their backs were to him.

Azula and a man he didn't know were standing opposite Aang and Midori, both held by at least two guards. There were more than twenty guards nearby. They had Aang trussed up so there was no way he could bend but they must not know Midori was a bender.

Aang gritted his teeth. “My friends will rescue me.”

“Who?” It was the man speaking, the one Aang didn't know. “The Blue Spirit? You must not understand. You are held here in not only one of the strongest fortresses that the Fire Nation holds but by two of the world's most elite fire-benders. No mere shinobi will free you from these quarters.”

Aang lunged against his holdings. “My friends will free me! Against them, you don't have a chance!”

Azula smirked.

Zuko looked down to Mika. “You get those things off Aang and free Midori. I'll go after that guy and Azula.”

Mika looked at him and he sighed.

“It's the best I've got.” He turned. “Ich…ni…san…go!”

The two leapt up, Zuko using fire to create a diversion.

Azula felt herself knocked back and Peris fell beside her. Guards were crying out in pain as the fire could not be put out.

Midori felt her bindings tossed away and as one of the guards fell back, he knocked over several large casks…casks of water.

Aang was stepping back when suddenly Zuko was there. Mika was busy taking care of several guards. With light fire-bending, Zuko freed Aang. Aang saw behind Zuko and with quick air-bending, sent the fire heading for them both off course.

The three benders stood against Azula and the man beside her.

Zuko's gaze narrowed. “Peris? I thought…”

Peris frowned. “Finally, we meet.”

Zuko stared in confusion. “Meet? We grew up together.”

Azula started forward but Peris blocked her with an arm, his gaze still matching Zuko's.

“Hm, great care Agni takes of his son.” Peris stated.

Azula stared at him. “What are you talking about?”

Zuko turned. “Aang, Midori, go. I'll catch up.”

Aang shook his head but Midori grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Aang had time for one last word.

“I'll hold you to that, Zuko.”

And then they were gone.

Azula found she couldn't go after them, her feet wouldn't move. Peris wasn't paying any more attention to her or the Avatar anyway.

Peris stared Zuko down as the former prince moved into a fighting stance.

“I'm glad we can end this now.”

“End what?” Zuko countered.

Peris grinned. “Surely you know of The Prophecy of Four.”

“I've heard of it.”

Peris' grin grew wider. “It speaks of four beings that will rise at the time when great evil spreads. The Daughter of Kaia, the Son of Samir, the Daughter of Nen, and the Son of Agni.”

Zuko sighed. “I know that.”

Peris straightened from his stance. “You know the Daughter of Nen is the water-bender you travel with.”

Zuko nodded.

“Think, Zuko, think.”

Zuko did, he thought. He thought hard.

“Another thing for me as well, how can I be the last hope for Agni's blood if he forsook my family at Fire Lord Solzen? I don't carry his blood. What can I do?”

“Zuko, meet the Daughter of Nen.”

“Zuko, do you know who the Son of Agni is?”

“Hm, great care Agni takes of his son.”

Zuko froze, staring forward. Peris grinned.

“That's right. You are the Son of Agni. How does it feel to know that not one but two fathers let you down? One to scar you and one to let it happen?”

Zuko stopped, trembling, staring forward, unable to move. His mouth hung slightly open and his eyes were wide.

Peris frowned. “And I'd hoped you'd be more of a challenge.”

With that, he sent a fire blast straight for Zuko.

Zuko regained his senses in time to see the blast heading for him but not in time to block or counter it. It was at that moment that he heard someone screaming his name.

Azula ran forward and placed herself in the path of the fire as Zuko stared in horror. The fire dissipated and Peris watched coldly as Azula pitched forward. As she fell into her brother's arms, she whispered.

“I'm sorry,”

When she hit the ground, slowed by Zuko, she was gone.

A dark red dragon lighted on the wall but Zuko didn't see.

Shiroten leapt down from Sainan's back.

“Zyperis! The Earth Kingdom soldiers are taking over the fortress! Are you done?”

Zyperis stared at the two siblings and nodded. He turned and mounted the dragon, Shiroten just behind him. Hakai and Konton leapt on Sainan's back and they were gone.